


Fork In The Road

by mks57



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Hopeful Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Retcon Timeline, Sacrifice, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide, Time Travel, Yes there are plotholes please let them slide., fixing mistakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-20
Updated: 2019-01-20
Packaged: 2019-10-13 06:02:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17482526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mks57/pseuds/mks57
Summary: Set in POS movie, Jiya watches as everyone celebrates Christmas less than a day after Flynn committed suicide. She cannot stomach a false victory or how she sees her life will become because of how much has changed. So, she lets her guard down and asks for counsel from the only person left who truly understands her.





	Fork In The Road

Everyone smiled at the dinner table, having the time of their lives. It was ‘over’, they were moving on. The others moved on quick, in fact Lucy was seemingly over her mother’s death. Resigned to not saving Amy and didn’t even shed a tear for Flynn. She hopped right into bed with Wyatt, Jiya knew because the walls were still thin. She also knew that Lucy was faking it all. Didn't take a genius when the words 'Is it in yet' were uttered before the woman gave a porno style performance for all of 5 minutes. It also helped that Jiya lived in a brothel for two years, so she knew when a woman was faking it. But Lucy was determined to settle and be faux happy until whatever lies she told herself became real.

If that wasn't disgusting enough, Wyatt was blind to it. He was completely smug in his ‘victory’ and acted like he did all the heavy lifting when he did nothing. He didn’t even spare a thought for Jessica. It disgusted Jiya, Wyatt disgusted her as his loyalty was fickle and if he had just used his brain when Jessica first came back, then so much would be different. Jiya’s life would be different. He hadn’t even apologised to her, neither had the others.

Jiya felt entitled to it as they had left her out of meetings when they discussed Jessica being a potential mole. They left her in the dark and it cost her three years of her life. Time that she couldn’t get back, the burden of keeping her secrets as she couldn’t tell them the horrors she had lived.

She still remembered Rufus seeing her scars. His concern made her want to scream at him. He didn't get why she hated his 'innocence' and him trying to comfort her especially when he had been part of why she had them. He always kept her in the dark and she was so angry at him because he knew about Jessica and said nothing.  Now? Well, he wanted to care because he didn't know the truth.  Because this Rufus 'technically' didn't keep her in the dark, she wasn’t allowed to be angry. Rationally, she know he didn’t deserve her ire for something he knew nothing about. It twisted her up in such a dark and demented manner as he acted like she was the Jiya he knew, like he didn’t see her at all.

When Rufus tried to reach her, she just felt like he was throwing salt into her open wounds than comforting her as there was so much baggage between them. Baggage; he couldn’t begin to fathom like right now and surrounded by the others' manufactured joy that felt cheap and ill fitted.

She listened to them talk about mundane things like what was next. They all claimed to have bright plans, all she felt was a deep emptiness and anxiety as she'd have to spend the rest of her life lying and hiding a very dark and damaged part of her soul. She saw a future of fake smiles and pretending everything was fine while she felt like she was drowning. Hell, she was drowning right now. She needed it to stop. She closed her eyes and hoped no one cared enough to notice her. She just mentally told herself to stop, to take a moment and calm down. 

Then it did, she opened her eyes and noticed that time slowed down to a complete stop. Well, technically it hadn’t stopped but Jiya was mentally moving faster than the others that they seemed frozen in place. Normally, she'd be pissed off by her powers asserting themselves like this. But tonight, it was blissful as she was allowed to feel what she wanted freely.

“Merry Christmas.” Stanley said as he appeared in the chair beside her. Rufus had gotten up to grab another round of drinks for the table. Stanley wore a button down shirt and cargo pants, he held a beer in his hand; he looked like he was enjoying a cold brew after work. But he was all an illusion, a projection of his consciousness as he didn’t look like the wasted man she had seen. He looked vibrant and alive.

“Not much to be merry about.” Jiya informed him in a dull manner, her fingers traced the rim of her glass of bourbon. Glad he was here, she hadn't realised she had relaxed her guard. But then she only had so much energy.

“You could change it.” Stanley drawled with a quirk of his lips. He took a sip of his beer. 

“Rittenhouse is gone.” Jiya told him, she knew what he meant by trying to change things. She just never interfered with time and people like that. She never felt the self entitlement that Stanley and others like him who did. Her only excuse to not indulge his idea was to point out that there was no point.

“Is it?” he asked, she frowned at him as he spoke in a cryptic manner. She hated when he did this, it was why she built walls to keep him out. But tonight, she didn’t want to be alone. She wanted someone who completely understood her.

“It has to be. Emma is dead.” Jiya said simply, Stanley wore a patronising smile.

“Emma was a pawn, to assume Rittenhouse is gone because she is dead would be rather moronic.” Stanley said casually before he took another sip of his beer.

“Agent Christopher assured us that Rittenhouse is gone.” Jiya argued as she didn’t like being called ‘stupid’ which was what Stanley was doing.

“How?” Stanley asked as he straightened up in his chair and turned to give her his complete attention.

“She used Benjamin Cahill to dismantle it all. What?” She asked as he started laughing. She couldn’t believe the nerve of him. But she also wanted to be right; for Rittenhouse to be gone. She needed to know the sacrifices she, Flynn and so many others were not for nothing.

“The King just hands over the keys of the castle without asking for anything in return? I think not.” Stanley told her, she hated him for being right, “Jiya, you’re more intelligent than these people want to recognise. So, stop stooping to their level of idiocy to fit in." He told her.

"I'm not." Jiya lied, but she was, she wanted to know suffering for 3 years in 1880s had to just happen. That if it meant the fight was over she could bury that trauma deep and go on. Even if her life was a sham.

"You are. I think that you wouldn’t have let your walls down if you didn’t want an ally or do you need to ask someone’s permission to change time?” Stanley asked her, Jiya reared back as she wasn’t entirely sure which of his statements was truer.

“I can’t change time.” She told him, she didn’t want the responsibility to be the bearer of pain and mayhem on others.

“You can, you just won't. There's a difference and I’ve told you this so many times before; you’re a Goddess among mere mortals. You don’t need a lifeboat, that beautiful brain inside your head is the machine. You just need to use it.” Stanley told her, he was so impassioned as he spoke as he truly believed what he was saying.

“Not this again.” She sighed in an exasperated manner as he’d told her this in 1886 when she was trapped by a dangerous and deranged man for several months. A man she had been sold to. She closed her eyes and pushed the memories away. She didn’t see herself as a 'Goddess' she was too damaged and weak. If she had been strong, she wouldn't have the scars she carried.

“Look around you," Stanley waved a hand at the frozen room " Look at what you created. Only you and I exist in this moment, when you decide to re-join them. They’ll never know how much time has truly passed. You did that, why is it so hard for you to believe that you’re capable of real greatness?” he asked her in a serious manner.

“If it were true, I could see the future past this year.” She pointed out as she didn't have a proper response.

“The future isn’t set until choices are made and then lived. Until then, it’s a nexus of multiple timelines. You’re good but you’re not focussed enough to pull yourself back from peeking behind that curtain. But the past, it’s easier, it’s there and you can tap into it with the forbidden colours. It’s how I helped you escape Bradford’s clutches and into the protection of the Tong faction. You’re welcome by the way.” He said, Jiya self-consciously shifted her shirt to make certain her scars were covered.

“I know you didn’t do it for me. You saw it as an adventure. Your own quest, I was the damsel in distress.” Jiya argued, she was grateful for him helping her escape but she held no delusions about his actions back then. He didn’t even correct her, because he respected her that much to not lie.

“True but also people like us… We’re rare and we need to protect one another when we can. If Bradford had learned who you really are and what you are capable of, he would’ve used you and then sold you to Rittenhouse. You would’ve been lost forever from the team and endure a fate worse than what he did to you. It would’ve been waste as I know that you’re going to be so much more than the rest of us in the collective ever could.” He told her, she couldn’t understand why he was so in awe of her, why he held such a strong belief in her that she was something other worldly and powerful. She just felt broken down and weak.

“I just don’t see it.” She told him.

“It's because you surround yourself with selfish people who use you and never valued you.” Stanley told her.

“They are not selfish!” Jiya said defensively.

“Let's be real. Lucy gave Garcia Flynn the Journal, she turned a grieving man into a weapon. She made him believe there was a way he’d see Rittenhouse be taken down and he would be free. Instead he died, killing Wyatt’s wife because Lucy and Wyatt made it seem like it was the only way. They erased the Rufus you loved, they erased your time in 1880s but didn’t allow you the luxury of forgetting it because you were outside your own 'present'. You lost a whole year with Rufus and ended up with a Mary Sue Cheerleader of Wyatt's. Oh and what exactly have you all done to honour Garcia?” Stanley asked her, his words hitting home in a painful manner as he pointed out everything she was starting to see for herself.

“Nothing.” She confessed.

“Why won’t you save him?” Stanley asked, the question she had been asking herself since her return from 1848. “So, Rittenhouse is gone, why not pluck him back 2012? Let him die here and give him a proper burial with his family because they won't let you." Stanley told her.

"You don't know that." Jiya argued.

"True, but I do know that Rittenhouse is not gone. They have just slithered back into shadows to rebuild their numbers and build a new time machine. They will be back up and running in a decade. Guess who they will come after first; you.” Stanley told her, pointing at her to emphasise his point.

“They don’t care about me.” Jiya said as Rittenhouse barely knew she existed and didn't know about her powers.

“They will as Benjamin Cahill will have access to all of this. Rittenhouse is rooted deeply into every Government agency and who doesn't know a hacker who could dig up the rest on this little song and dance you have here.” Stanley circled his finger around indicating the whole mission, all the missions and paperwork. Jiya felt vulnerable all over again as she realised she had no idea what Denise or even Rufus shared with the others. “When they do, it's not just you who will be vulnerable. It will be me, Harriet Tubman and many others like us will be too. We give the good guys a fighting chance or we're used to give Rittenhouse the advantage whether we want to or not.” He told her.

“My visions were useless, Rufus died.” Jiya said, tears slid down her face.

“You didn’t have a handle on your powers then and-“

“I had three years!” Jiya shouted at him.

“You didn’t have the time to truly commit yourself to learning between recovering from your trauma and trying to survive from day to day. Give yourself a break, it took me full time for a year and half to truly become capable as I am.” Stanley told her.

They both blew out an exasperated breath as it was exhausting. Not just controlling time but also what they were discussing, the weight of the world that rested on their shoulders. Stanley scrubbed a hand down his face as he seemed to summon what patience he could.

“Look, Rittenhouse used to work on the domino effect of history to wipe us out before the time ships were constructed. We’re the ones marked as crazy or enslaved by demons. We’re locked up or burned at the stake- whatever, we always die. When they know who we are, the actual proof in their hands. They will want to control or kill us and then finish their plans. These people you call your friends? They won't care until after you're dead which is why you need to change history. You need to save Garcia Flynn.”  Stanley told her with such conviction that she wondered what he knew and what she didn't.

“Garcia Flynn died to save Rufus. If I save him, then Rufus will be dead again.” Jiya told him, she didn't know if she had it in herself to make that sacrifice. She felt a deep despondency as she wondered if she was cursed to watch Rufus die over and over.

“Garcia committed suicide, his death didn’t save Rufus and Jessica dying was wrong. She was a victim of Rittenhouse. You know that as much as I do. She can be saved, just as the Rufus you knew and loved can be saved. Garcia can be saved. The thing is that all of you” he waved at the others at the table and her “Is that this fight requires the strength to take the long road and defeat Rittenhouse completely. Not knock them down a couple rungs.” He told her.

“If I wipe out this timeline, I’m wiping out Lucy and Wyatt’s relationship.” Jiya argued. Stanley made a face at her.

“So, these two people fucking is more important than the survival of the human race and our kind?” he asked incredulously as he gestured to the couple opposite them.

“No, but what if they end up happy and everyone is happy and I screw that up.” Jiya argued, the excuse sounded lame even to her ears. Stanley rolled his eyes to prove he wasn't moved by it.

“Happiness is fleeting. But let me show you something. Just echoes.” Stanley said, he placed his beer down and held out his hands to her.

Jiya took an apprehensive breath and placed her hands in his. She was spirited away with him, memories flitted past her consciousness. She saw Flynn and Lucy sitting on the couch drinking beer watching a movie, Lucy in Flynn’s room; the two talking and looking genuinely happy and laughing. The happiness and love in the moment swirled beautifully around them, Jiya felt how deeply Flynn yearned and loved Lucy. How Lucy while not in love with Flynn, she craved his presence like one craved the sunshine in the winter. It carried through to other moments when the couple reading books and sneaking looks at one another. Then Chinatown, she saw Lucy breakdown and Flynn pick her up, hold her as she cried. Then the memories turned to the journal in Lucy’s hands as she read about Titanic.

She felt all the emotions; the warm liquid sense of intrigue, joy and contentment of knowing what was written on the page could be real. But then she was pulled to 2018 where the Futures shoved the Journal into Wyatt’s hands. She could feel the despair and deep sadness like something deeply special and personal to her was stolen away.

Then 1848, where Lucy told Flynn that he had no idea what her type. Feeling unconvinced and a deep seated exhaustion like she were drowning in a dark mental space that she didn’t want to be in. She just wanted it all to be over, the memory switched to when they discussed how to handle Jessica. Wyatt claiming he’d take responsibility, she felt fed up at his empty words and reticence. She felt the fresh wave of frustration, envy, raw pain and desolation of a person who had been suffering for years; desperate for it all to stop.

It hit way too close to her own mental state that Jiya could barely stand it. She tried to break the connection, but Stanley held on. As he kept showing her, memories of the past until Flynn stood in front of the Lifeboat.

“I don’t want to see this.” Jiya told him, tears streamed down her face as she was overwhelmed by emotions that were not her own. She knew what would happen next, she knew it all and it broke her heart as she knew the truth. She wanted to ignore it, but at the same time she realised she couldn’t live in it. Rufus was not the man she loved.

Stanley showed her; Wyatt shoving the Journal back into Lucy hands. His harsh words and petulant manner, they scorched Jiya’s raw nerves. Lucy flicked through the Journal and found a letter. Jiya felt the deep chasm of emptiness and grief, the pain like someone had scrapped her insides out and the ragged edges just ached. Lucy read the letter written by Flynn. It was too much to bear, as the words in the letter didn’t match the state of the man who went to the Lifeboat. The man who went for the quick fix because he could no longer see a way out of the crushing blow of the past few hours.

“You can change this.” Stanley told her as he broke the connection and pulled away from her. She felt the tears stream down her face as the emotions of too many people rolled inside her.

“I can’t do what you can.” Jiya told him, she wiped at her face. It was too overwhelming.

“You can. You need to. Part of the forbidden colours that is so intoxicating is that we get to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes and understand them more completely than anyone could. You see it as a curse but it’s a gift.” Stanley told her sincerely as he truly believed in the ethos of how he existed outside of his body.

“How?” Jiya asked as she saw it as an invasion. She saw it as wrong to occupy another person’s body without their consent. But she also knew it was useful, the more her emotions warred within her. The more she wanted to change history.

“You see the colour around the person, think of it like a car and to get in you open the door and get inside the driver’s seat. I know it’s overwhelming but when there’s a purpose. When you can save a life that could save hundreds more, then the ethics of it are inconsequential.” Stanley told her.

“Why can’t you do it?” Jiya asked him.

“You’ve been protecting these people from me and some others too since 1954. I can watch you all but I can’t hop into their skin but you can.” Stanley told her.

“If I change time, will I remember all of this?” Jiya asked, Stanley nodded.

“Everything and the stronger you become, the more immune you’ll become to the alterations to history.” He informed her, Jiya covered her face with her hands as she wasn’t sure if it was right for her to do this.

“I don’t know.” She told him, she dropped her hands down and shook her head.

“Garcia Flynn risked his life to save you and Rufus. You know that he will continue to fight until Rittenhouse is gone and Rufus is alive. The other reason why I’m pushing this is that you need an ally and someone who will protect you for what is to come. And don’t you owe him a real second chance at life?” Stanley asked her, for once; she agreed with him.

* * *

1848,

Flynn stood outside of the lifeboat, he rode out feeling a sense of emptiness and despair. He was tired of all the talking and no actual plans being made. If Flynn was honest, he could see he was being pushed out of the team. Lucy and Wyatt were together, he wished them the best though Wyatt didn’t deserve Lucy.

Lucy made her choice when she shut him out and chose to look over the journal with Wyatt. She chose Wyatt, she walked with Wyatt and he felt the Journal and future Lucy had lied to him in 2014. There was no affair gone wrong, there was no Garcia and Lucy being quite the team.

There wouldn’t be as Wyatt would insert himself back into Lucy's life. Lucy would let him walk all over her. Flynn couldn't stand back and watch it, soon enough Wyatt would bitch enough for Denise to want to send Flynn back to prison. So, Flynn decided it was just best to bow out on his terms now. He was about to take a step  when he heard someone to his left. He drew his weapon. He frowned as Lucy stepped out into moonlight. He couldn’t believe it, why was she here? How did she even know that he would be here?

“You’re not scouting ahead.” Lucy stated, he remained silent as she was right. “You think if you go to 2012 and kill Jessica it will miraculously fix everything.” She added.

“It will save Rufus.” Flynn stated, it was simple but usually the most simple route could be the most effective.

“Rufus can still be saved another way and anyway, Jessica didn’t kill him. Emma did. Jessica, for all her faults…she’s a victim in this too. Rittenhouse got to her family, they brainwashed her which means there is a part of her that knows the truth and I know if she is given the chance; she will choose our side.” Lucy corrected him, there was something off about her. He couldn’t put his finger on it. The way she spoke, the way she moved were not natural for her. She stepped closer the moon hit her eyes and they reflected in unnatural manner.

“This is the fastest solution-“ Flynn tried to argue but she cut him off.

“Fast doesn’t always mean the best. All you’ll do is bypass one battle which will only delay the war, not win it. You and I knew going into this that fighting Rittenhouse was- is going to take time and patience. Rittenhouse is so much more than just Jessica and Emma. You know this, why are you trying to throw away your future?” Lucy asked him.

“Who are you?” he asked as he was tempted to raise his weapon. Lucy heaved a sigh.

“Jiya, I’m in 2018. I hijacked Lucy's body because you listen to her." Lucy said, Flynn frowned unsure of how to feel about that. She continued talking. "Your little mission to 2012 failed. You died for nothing. I’m not sure whether you truly believe this will work or that you’re just done and want to commit suicide but need it to be worthwhile.” She rambled, she shook her head and did a shrug and throw of the hands like she was trying to reconcile his actions. Suddenly, Flynn could read all the inflections and body language as Jiya. He knew she was not lying but it didn’t make sense as to how she was in Lucy’s body.

“How are you doing this?” Flynn asked her as her words hurt as they struck too close to the truth.

“It’s complicated. Let's just say my powers are growing.” Lucy or well, Jiya threw her hands up. “I can hop into bodies, it’s weird and it’s giving me a splitting headache as I’m currently in a weird time space where I am and back here, ok.” She told him.

“Ok.” He said, he holstered his weapon as he didn’t know how to explain it but he knew she was telling the truth. “Why are you here? To redirect me?” he asked.

“To save you, you moron.” She said exhausted yet sincere. He couldn’t help but wear a faint smile as he never thought he would be ‘rescued’. A little piece of his broken heart mended as he rarely felt deserving of being rescued.

“I’m not important.” He told her.

“If I could show you everything I know, you’d know differently. I can feel what Lucy feels as she’s conscious of everything I’m saying.” Jiya said, tears fell down her face. “She knows what you’re doing, just as I do.” She added.

“I’m doing this for us all.” Flynn told her, he watched as a shift in Lucy’s demeanour happened. She staggered slightly but found her balance before Flynn could reach her. She lifted her head up, she looked at him, tears welled in her eyes. She grabbed the front of jacket tightly. He knew it was his Lucy, Jiya who occupied her was gone.

“No, you’re running away because you love me. You think it’s easier for me to choose Wyatt if you’re dead.” She accused him.

“What life could I give you? When this is over, I’ll be back in prison or dead. There’s no future with me.” He told her in a gravelly voice as his hands fisted at his side. He was so desperate to touch her but he couldn’t, not when he didn’t deserve her.

“You don’t know that.” She told him in a harsh tone, her hands gripped his jacket so hard that they were shaking. “I’ve committed all the same crimes. I’ve the same amount of blood on my hands. Am I as undeserving as you?” she asked him.

“Lucy, it’s not the same.” He told her in a hushed manner.

“It is the same, but the difference is I choose you, I have feelings for you. I care about you. I don’t want you to kill Jessica and die for me, do you hear me?” She asked as she looked at him with a steely gaze. “We will find a way to save the ones we love, as long as we don’t give up hope. You said that.” She reminded him, Flynn unfurled his fists and rested them over hers.

“Lucy-“

“I did imagine us, I read that Journal and I cried because I do want to feel safe, I want to be with you and have whatever you can give me because I want to be happy, I want joy and I know I can have that with you. I will fight for you-” She had a whole speech ready to ramble off but Flynn’s lips crashed down on hers in a soul wrenching kiss.

Lucy nearly lost her grip on his jacket as she sank into the kiss. It was unlike any kiss she'd ever experienced, it was feral, desperate and passionate. She kissed him back with equal fervor as he made her feel deliciously wild and vivacious. She wrapped an hand around the back of his neck and  angled her head to deepen the kiss. She moaned as his tongue swept inside of her mouth and tangled with hers. He wrapped her in his arms and pulled her tight against him like she were a whisper a beautiful dream about to fade that he wanted to hold onto and cherish forever. 

* * *

Jiya blinked as she back in the present and still at the table but things had changed. Stanley was gone, time was functionally normal. She felt drained and like she was in a fog. The room was still decorated for Christmas, the place smelt like a beautiful roast dinner. She looked at the sullen expression of Wyatt as he peeled the label off his beer bottle.

At the head of the table was Connor with his sad expression. She knew Rufus was gone, yes it was going to be one of the most depressing Christmases of her life. But there was a conscious level of acceptance that brought her comfort. Like this was how it was supposed to be, part of felt relieved that she could cry at the dinner table and it would be ok. She was allowed her pain and to grieve. Another part of her hated that she sacrificed Rufus for this. But she reminded herself that he hadn't been hers, not really.

“This turkey is nearly ready.” Denise said from the kitchen interrupting Jiya's thoughts. 

“Why are we even bothering? We should be fighting Rittenhouse and saving Rufus not celebrating Christmas.” Wyatt snapped at her.

“Wyatt, I know this isn’t easy-“ Denise started but he cut her off.

“Let me go back to 2012, I can fix everything.” Wyatt said, Jiya shook her head as she now knew better than to believe such simplistic ideas would mean the end of Rittenhouse. She knew better than to settle this time.

“Lucy said it wouldn’t work.” Connor reminded Wyatt.

“Why not?” Wyatt asked him.

“Jessica is a victim of Rittenhouse.” Jiya told him, she watched as he rolled his eyes and shook his head. He firmly believed his future-self.

“She’s not. She’s a liar and-“ Wyatt started but Jiya cut him off.

“Just because your future self said she wasn’t pregnant and toying with you…doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true.” Jiya argued before Wyatt could start a diatribe of how he was the 'real' victim of Rittenhouse.

“How would you know?” Wyatt asked her in a petulant manner.

“Rittenhouse is more than Lucy’s family and Jessica. Killing Jessica won’t save Rufus as Emma killed Rufus. We can shuffle the events how we like but I foresaw Rufus' death and it happened-" Jiya started but Wyatt cut her off this time.

“We wouldn’t have been in 1888 if Jessica hadn’t kidnapped you.” Wyatt argued.

“No, I wouldn’t have lost 3 years of my life to that hellhole if you and everyone else who knew about Jessica being a possible mole had told me she was under investigation and to be more cautious around her. You all blindsided and betrayed me well before Jessica did.” Jiya said hotly as she was squarely putting the blame where it deserved to be. Wyatt looked more annoyed than remorseful. She knew if history were to repeat, he wouldn’t have changed a thing. “But Wyatt...you're the worst offender in this bunker as you brought Jessica down here without even asking any of us how we felt about it. Then you protected her, by hiding what you knew instead of trusting us.” Jiya reminded him.

“What do you want me to say? Hmm?” Wyatt asked her incredulously, he looked like the injured party. Part of her wanted to pull off her shirt and show him who the real victim at the table was. But instead she remained clothed and just shook her head in disappointment.

“If you don’t know the answer that. Then you’re not the man I believed you to be.” Jiya told him, she rose from her chair. “I’m going to go get Lucy and Flynn for dinner.” She announced, she left the table and headed to the hallway.

“Well done.” Stanley said as he appeared at her side and they walked down the hallway.

“How is it that I feel like everything is how it should be but we’re all miserable?” Jiya asked him, she looked to him and watched him shrug.

“Happiness is a transient state. It'll come back around when you need it most.” He offered.

“Will I save Rufus?” Jiya asked him softly, her heart breaking as she missed Rufus. She missed the man who had tried to save her and died. She missed him with all her heart.

“Yeah, it won’t be easy but you will.” Stanley assured her, somehow his words reassured her in a way nothing else could.

“Jessica and the others?” Jiya asked. Stanley heaved a breath and sighed.

“I don’t know, that doesn’t necessarily mean ‘no’. It’s unforeseen for now. But, truthfully between you and me. You should see a therapist about what happened in 1885 and onwards. Even if you have to fudge some of the truth, it's good to get help to see it more clearly and help you to keep moving forward. It'll help you with powers too, which you need to get a hand on soon.” He advised her, Jiya nodded as she took his words to heart and hoped that from here on out she chose the best path.

She walked to Flynn’s room, Stanley disappeared from her side just as she surprisingly found the door wide open. A soft smile spreading across her face at the scene before her. Flynn sat on the bed while Lucy was in the arm chair. They looked at a wall covered in notes and photos. History books in neat piles around the bed and on the desk. Lucy held her journal in her lap.

“Hey.” Jiya said.

“Dinner time?” Flynn asked, she gave a nod. He rose from the bed and move to her, he rested a hand on her shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. They shared a look, acknowledging that this journey would be a long one, but he was here. He dropped his hand away and walked out of the room.

Lucy closed her Journal and placed it on the desk. She rose from her chair and walked over to Jiya and wrapped her up in a hug. Jiya returned the embrace tears burning her eyes.

“We’ll get him back.” Lucy promised her, she pulled back and gave Jiya a watery smile. “You know, you could always try and possess me again but in 1888.” Lucy offered.

“I’m not sure about that.” Jiya said truthfully, it was possible they could try to save Rufus but she was pretty sure her memories would remain intact. But she wasn't ruling it out as she decided that she could accept her scars and move forward. She just needed time and support.

“Garcia wants to talk about your powers and so do I, when you’re ready.” Lucy added as she looped her arm around Jiya's and walked her out of the room.

“I will.” Jiya said, she looked solemn, "Lucy, I'm sorry about your loss. Losing a parent isn't easy even when they're not bad people. If you ever want to talk, I'm here." Jiya said sincerely.

"Thank you." Lucy replied with a saddened smile, but after a few seconds she perked up a little as she mentally pushed her grief away. "You know, now that you've been in my body. You'll have to tell me what colour I am.” Lucy told her with a teasing smile; doing her best to lighten the mood.

“I’m not sure I should.” Jiya teased as she needed the levity.

“I bet Garcia is Burgundy.” Lucy said thoughtfully, Jiya snorted a laugh as Lucy was wrong but she wasn’t about to correct her. At least not tonight.

 


End file.
